Stein Eriksen comparison.

[Mattyboy]

I have been skiing for 50+ years.
I think I am very good, and have been told that I ski like
Stein Eriksen. I have always taken that as a compliment.

That is, until the other day, when a relative told me that I need
to go back to ski school, because I am “too old school”.
This person is a ski instructor/ski patroller and said that
he would fail me on my form… ”not in control” as evidenced
by my boots very close.

This got some heated conversation.. but I yielded the point, that
i may be sub-optimizing my parabolic ski edge, but I wouldn’t
call myself out of control….

i would be interested in getting peoples feedback.

Does this 60 year old need to go back to ski school?
I want to join the ski patrol, and help out in my retirement
years.

bothered & having second thoughts.

 

[Scruffy]

I have been skiing for 50+ years.
I think I am very good, and have been told that I ski like
Stein Eriksen. I have always taken that as a compliment.

That is, until the other day, when a relative told me that I need
to go back to ski school, because I am “too old school”.
This person is a ski instructor/ski patroller and said that
he would fail me on my form… ”not in control” as evidenced
by my boots very close.

This got some heated conversation.. but I yielded the point, that
i may be sub-optimizing my parabolic ski edge, but I wouldn’t
call myself out of control….

i would be interested in getting peoples feedback.

Does this 60 year old need to go back to ski school?
I want to join the ski patrol, and help out in my retirement
years.

bothered & having second thoughts.

Need? No. If you want to join the 21st century of skiing you might want to see what all this modern day stuff is about. If you're happy were you are, enjoy.

As far a patroller goes, they don't test your on skiing ability. Ski instructors do.

 

[KingGrump]

Can't tell without a video of you skiing.

 

[hrstrat57]

Funny just this morning I was thinking about those old PSIA demo vids of Level 5 (stem Christie) skiing that Stein did. That was truly beautiful skiing. I realized I hadn’t seen anyone deliberately ski like that in probably 25 years. I recall working hard to perfect my own Level 4 and 5 demos. Haven’t tried those moves in years at least since I was on skis between lengths of 200-208 cm.

I wonder how that stem Christie would work on my 165 Volkl FIS Racetigers? I’ll have to try it.

Interesting topic…

 

[Bad Bob]

Stein evolved his skiing over time. When ever his technology changed his technique changed too. He was always great and,speaking from experience, really fast.
Ski like Stein about 2010.

 

[Crank]

I am sure you are fine as is. But yes - old school is apt.

I told a good skier that I could tell she learned to ski in the '70s. I think she was taken a bit aback. Evolve if you want to or don't. There are many ways to ski and I love the indiviality of our sport.

 

[Wannabeskibum]

I have been skiing for 50+ years.
I think I am very good, and have been told that I ski like
Stein Eriksen. I have always taken that as a compliment.

That is, until the other day, when a relative told me that I need
to go back to ski school, because I am “too old school”.
This person is a ski instructor/ski patroller and said that
he would fail me on my form… ”not in control” as evidenced
by my boots very close.

This got some heated conversation.. but I yielded the point, that
i may be sub-optimizing my parabolic ski edge, but I wouldn’t
call myself out of control….

i would be interested in getting peoples feedback.

Does this 60 year old need to go back to ski school?
I want to join the ski patrol, and help out in my retirement
years.

bothered & having second thoughts.

Well, I am 69 years old and have been skiing since I was 10 - so I started on wood skis and lace up boots! I like to say that I have learned how to ski about 3 times. I continue to work with high level coaches (particularly at Breckenridge) and my skiing has changed considerably over the years so that I am taking maximal advantage of the side cut of the skis and modern construction of ski boots that provide lateral stiffness but sufficient flex in the hinge. I am able to use far less physical energy in my skiing now then I did when I was younger but still ski aggressively in the trees, bumps, and bowls. I would highly recommend "going back to ski school". When I was 58, I took a lesson with an instructor at Vail (it was a group lesson that turned out to be a group of 1). Instructor told me after he watched me ski - his goal for the day, I was to teach me how to use less energy - i.e. take advantage of the newer ski technology so I could still ski at 88.

 

[Jwrags]

I am 64 and in my 51st season. While I am sure your form is beautiful it is likely "old school". Three seasons ago I realized I needed to get into the modern era since I was skiing modern equipment. On my annual guys trip I sprung for a lesson for the three of us. It made a world of difference in how much energy was expended to ski. It rejuvenated my brother, who was ready to hang them up. Take a lesson but request an older, high level (L3) instructor who "gets" what it is like to ski at an older age. When the instructor we had called me the night before I told him we were three fat old guys who had skied for decades but wanted to enter the modern era and expend less energy. His response, "I can do that". He was our age. It was great!

 

[JESinstr]

It ain't Brain Surgery. Simply put, the skills paradigm has changed and shifted from Rotary, Edging, Pressure management to Edging, Pressure management, Rotary.

If you can swallow your pride and go back to the Wedge Configuration to work on this change, I think you will quickly transform your technique and utilize the carving function of the ski.

 

[justplanesteve]

Does this 60 year old need to go back to ski school?
I want to join the ski patrol, and help out in my retirement
years.

Watching from the lift, many ski patrollers appear to have learned to ski on straight skis.
Lots of good skiing, perhaps with excess motion in all planes/not letting the skis do the work. I have wondered if this is a natural factor that affects non-profit service organizations everywhere: the graying/aging of the fleet with fewer new members being young & the member profile average age increasing slightly every year. Or possibly if it is a factor of carrying heavy packs all day while skiing? (I don't know anything about that). FWIW, there are old school moves i study when watching some of those guys, that are still useful, often skiing steeps.

Thoughts on alternate career path options
You might be surprised how readily a ski school would accept you, especially if the director and some of the instructors are already in your age bracket or older.
For either Ski Patrol or instructing application, see about finding a multi-week seniors or "masters" refresher course to develop efficient skiing with new equipment. Many hills have very economical packages. Plus you will meet staff and begin to interact with ski-hill dynamics from the inside. If you then apply to a ski school, be sure they have at least one active/enthusiastic L3 on staff. I'm way too poor to even take beginner private lessons, but have noted on here entire mornings or afternoons with a couple L3's and an L2 working on my skiing, (i refer to myself as their special needs/slow-student project) both in groups and privately because i have been fortunate to work toward becoming a good team member. My return to skiing came after a 25 year lapse, 8 yrs older than your current age at the time. Re: time commitment concerns, some fellow instructors only work on the clock one day/week & free ski or clinic as desired. Obviously varies with school.

 

[BLiP]

If you still look like this:

Well, good for you. That is pretty impressive. Just not modern skiing. And certainly not the way to ski on any shaped ski. No way to tell (without video) if you're actually "not in control." But never any harm in taking a lesson.

 

[fundad77]

If you want to belong to any group anywhere, you need to fit in. If you don't ski like them, you don't fit in and they wont accept you. At my home mountain, only a fraction of the ski patrol candidates were accepted this year and my buddy was relieved to have made the cut. It's much easier to get into instruction, you'll only have to learn to do wedge turns properly in order to teach little kids.

 

[Gapak]

This year I turn 50 years on skis (I started when I was 5). Every season I do at least one, sometimes two, 3-day "full immersion" stage with a high-level instructor to perfect and update something in my technique. Plus various days of video sessions with a group of friends. The beauty of skiing is that there is never a moment when everything will be okay, when everything will be achieved. there is always room to feel new sensations. If it hadn't been like this I would have stopped long ago. See it as a positive thing and enjoy every moment and every step forward in your skiing career

 

[Jerez]

The beauty of skiing is that there is never a moment when everything will be okay, when everything will be achieved. there is always room to feel new sensations. If it hadn't been like this I would have stopped long ago. See it as a positive thing and enjoy every moment and every step forward in your skiing career

Exactly! Park the ego and embrace the adventure. There is always more to learn and isn't that a big part of the fun?